The visit came a day after Conservative Party candidate Rick Lazio dropped out of the race, boosting Paladino’s chances in a contest some were viewing as a Cuomo walkover.

A Marist College poll of likely voters last week found Cuomo had a 19-point edge over Paladino, but that field included Lazio, who had 8 points. A Quinnipiac University poll the same week found Paladino trailing by just 6 percentage points among likely voters when Lazio wasn’t included in the mix.

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